The Pantheon of the Xosa Empire
Xindros, The Light's King ::::::::: And so they said, Light, my King, and Sol, my Queen, '' :::::::::: '' Bring unto me the vile, the evil, the horrid '' ::::::::::: ''So that I may purge it in your name '' Xindros is the Deity to which the Monks of the Sun Soul attribute their powers. Though his initial appearance, like many Gods, was during the Wars Prior, his power remained in tact after ''The Rewind. Monks atop the peaks of The Seat of the Pantheon worshiped him devoutly, listening to his guidance and carrying out his judgements. Xindros was active, even present in physical forms at some points, during the early days of the Xosa empire's foundations, but lately has been all but mute. People believe that some Gods have begun to abandon them, others believe they deserve such abandonment, and seek to atone for it. Many, at the time, believed that the King of Xosa was Xindros incarnate, and at a time he truly was. Throughout all of this however, one thing remains true. If the light and its followers were to deem you unholy, your life would burn, and your essence would be sent aflame. Such is the force of the King of Light. Koreias, The Lion Turtle ::::::::: '' Tranquility is found not only in life, but in the death of others.'' :::::::: The sweet feeling as your enemies fall, surely there is nothing like it. :::::: The fierceness of death and the calmness of life, oh the joy it brings me to see his workings. '' ::::::::::: ''Such are the Mantra of the Lion Turtle' ''' Koreias was born of two thoughts, those of tranquility, and those of penance.The jade winds that spiral through the peaks of The Seat of the Pantheon, and the holy light which rains down from Xindros' heavenly image. Her birth was that of a treaty, a promise between two groups to end the fighting, on the grounds that no more blood be shed in the names of one another, but in the names of a common enemy. Koreias was born a weapon during the Wars Prior. One to destroy her enemies and bring her allies relief. Her physical form a woman of towering beauty, her eyes replaced with shining jade stones. At her back, the coat of a Lion, hard as steel. At her legs, armor made from tortoise shell, tough as a thousand plates. During the Wars Prior, when she entered the fray at last, her allies cheered, not for the defeat of their enemies, but for the sparing of their lives. Their enemies stood still, not for fear of their lives, but for fear that she would follow them home. That she would exact her penance upon their families, and their homes, and their world. The Lion Turtle hunted, ruthless, violent, and cunning, but was patient enough to wait. One Hundred years, One Thousand. She will wait until a war worth fighting breaks again, and then she will join the fray. It is from these images, these promises, that the Monks who founded the order of Tranquility draw their beliefs. The Twelve : ''Through their beliefs, their strength, wisdom, intellect, agility, charisma, and power, they rose to deified heights. : Their blood ran gold, and their skin shone red. Their eyes gleamed of a white mist. : The Twelve had developed a new Way. A new Focus. A Tranquil Light and the Penant Winds. '' The Twelve are highly revered Monks, deified by their accomplishments in bringing the Way of Tranquility and the Way of the Sun Soul together. Each Monk contributed their entire lives to practicing both beliefs, eventually shaping them together and creating a new Way. The Way of the Tranquil Light. Monks who practice this are only those at the top of the orders. The Lion Turtle was the first, the one who brought the idea to the mortal Monks. From there, they practiced. Isolated themselves atop the highest of the peaks and sat in prayer. Eventually they found it, the perfect synergy. Of all mortals to ever become deities, no pantheon has ever awarded Twelve mortals this honor. But for the Twelve, an exception was made. You see you could not have One of the Twelve without the other Eleven. You could not have Eleven without the other One. Their minds had molded together, their fighting styles existing only because the others do. Their intellect existing only because the others ''do. ''Xindros blessed them, making them immortal and powerful. Ones to be prayed to. But one truth remained even after leaving the mortal realm. The Twelve are the masters of combat, and should The Twelve decide to train warriors, the world should tremble in fear. Sol, Queen of the Sun :::::::::: ''My life for my Queen, and my body for her wars ::::::::: '' My death for her ideal, and my soul for her service'' ::::::::: '' And in my final hour, my Queen shall visit'' :::::: '' For in my dying breath she would hear, "Eternal is her Kingdom, long live the Sun"'' Sol, Queen of the Sun, is often depicted as a matriarchal figure. Wife of Xindros, Sol often found herself worshipped and idolized by those who served him. The Monk's who drew on his power for their Sun Soul practices often took on a sense of knighthood and chivalry, pledging their service and lives in defense of Sol and her kingdom. While Xindros is often depicted as the leader of the Xosan Pantheon, Sol took the role of inspiration and sometimes instigation. Of all things to be held as truth, one is unshakeable. Should a foreign force lay seige to the lands of Xosa, the armies of Sol would lay slaughter to that army. They would bring waste to the lands they come from, and salt the earth behind them. The sun can be a source of life, kind, forgiving, nurturing. Motherly almost. But when angered, the fury of this Goddess will ionize the enemies of her Empire. Long live the Sun. Xolotl, The Final Sunset Beautiful isn't it? The way the Light meets the edge. It encapsulates your being, draws your attention in a marvelous way. It serves to distract, however, from the Dark rising behind you. As Sol lays to rest with my Brother, I wake to watch over their domains. And while they sleep I thrive. Would you like to thrive with me? '' Just as the Xosa Empire worships Deities of Light and Tranquility, it also worships a deity of Night and Chaos. Xolotl, the God of the Sunset, and the things that follow, is such a God. When the Gods formed, Xindros and Xolotl were of the first. Brothers, Lovers, or one in the same. As the sun rises, Xindros brings graces and penance to his subjects, and as it sets, Xolotl was to bring horror and flame to his enemies. Too often did the subjects of Xindros and the enemies of Xolotl intertwine, and soon Xolotl was exiled. Banished to deal in the darkest corners of the empire. However, during the Wars Prior, Xindros beckoned Xolotl to the battlefield. ''"Come Brother, I tire and must rest. The sun sets on the Empire of Xosa once more, and it needs a protector." Xolotl stood to the challenge, and when the sun set upon the empires of the world, so did the dangers of the night. Now the Gods grow restless, they stir at the sight of a climax to this new war, and when the sun sets each night the vile creatures come to the table. And when the sun sets one final time, that is when the blackest blades and the darkest skies should block out the sight of mortals, and Xolotl will reign supreme.